A sitting minister in Trinidad and Tobago’s government has reportedly had their United States visa revoked, while a senior judicial officer has been summoned to the US Embassy amid an expanding series of visa suspensions and revocations affecting public officials and members of the business community.
The developments were reported by the Trinidad and Tobago Sunday Express, which said the identities of those affected had not been disclosed and that the reported action could involve close to 50 people across several sectors.
According to the newspaper, senior Immigration and national security sources linked the measures to US visa enforcement targeting individuals allegedly associated with criminal organisations or suspected of involvement in corruption, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illicit activities.
The Sunday Express reported that the minister did not respond to repeated requests for comment sent through WhatsApp and telephone calls between October 2 and Friday last week.
The senior judicial officer, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, confirmed being summoned to the US Embassy but said the meeting concerned work-related matters.
“I did ask if this in any way would affect my visa, but I was informed that it would not,” the officer told the newspaper.
The reported developments form part of a wider series of visa actions that sources told the Sunday Express had affected politicians, Immigration officers, members of the Judiciary, law enforcement personnel, other public officials and businesspeople.
Immigration and police officers affected
The newspaper reported that, over the preceding three months, at least six Immigration officers and a police officer attached to an elite unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service had either had their US visas revoked or suspended.
According to its sources, at least four junior Immigration officers and two senior officers were affected. Some officers were reportedly prevented from boarding US-bound flights, while others who reached the United States were denied entry and returned to Trinidad and Tobago.
The report linked some Immigration officers to allegations involving human trafficking and the improper facilitation of work permits and other immigration documents for Chinese nationals. It also said a senior police officer’s visa had reportedly been suspended pending further investigation.
The newspaper noted that questions had arisen over the officer’s property dealings in South Trinidad, where a property purchased by the officer was subsequently rented to Chinese nationals for commercial purposes. However, it said no confirmed connection between those transactions and the reported visa action had been established.
The allegations have not been presented as proven wrongdoing, and the individuals reportedly affected have not been publicly identified.
US Embassy cites confidentiality
In response to questions from the Sunday Express, the US Embassy in Port of Spain declined to discuss individual cases, citing legal restrictions protecting visa records.
A spokesperson said:
“US law requires the Department of State to protect the confidentiality of individual visa records. We therefore cannot confirm or discuss specific cases. A visa is a privilege, not a right.”
The spokesperson added that US authorities continuously review visa eligibility and may revoke visas when information indicates that an individual no longer qualifies under American law.
The embassy said such powers would be used when warranted to protect US national security, public safety and other vital interests.
The reported measures follow earlier revelations concerning visa revocations among members of Trinidad and Tobago’s business community. In June, Attorney General John Jeremie told Parliament that the United States had revoked the visas of certain businesspeople, emphasising that the decisions were made by American authorities.
On September 28, the US Department of State also announced a policy providing for visa restrictions against 27 Latin American officials and former officials accused of undermining democratically elected governments through corruption or narco-trafficking.
The reasons behind individual visa decisions in Trinidad and Tobago remain unclear. A visa revocation or suspension does not, by itself, establish that a person has committed a crime or been charged with an offence.
